Improved cotton-press



l I h5@ WMJWS. v v MMM Maf@ AM. PHOTU-LITH. C0. N.Y (OSBORNES PRDCESS) fll'NITED STATES PATENT Oratori.

PICKENS B. VEVFR, OF SCARBOROUGI-I, GEORGIA. i

IMPRovED COTTON-PRESS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 29,736, dated August 21, 1860.

.'l'o aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Picxnns B. WEVER, of Scarborough, in the county of Scriven and State of Georgia, have invented a new and improved press for compressing cotton, hay, .and other substances usually compressed for balling; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which-- Figure l is a front view of a press constructed according to my invention; Fig. 2, a transverse section of the saine, taken in the line x Fig. l; Fig. 8, a transverse section of the same, taken in the line y y, Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a horizontal section of the same, taken in the linee z, Fig. l.

Smilar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention Arelates to certain improvements in that class of presses in which a right and left screw is used in connection with toggles for applying the pressure to the substance to be pressed.

The object of the invention is to expedite the pressing operation, and also to facilitate the placing of the loose cotton within the press-box, as well as its removal therefrom in bale form.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention,I will proceed to describe it.

A A represent two uprights, in the upper part of which the journals of a horizontal screw-shaft, B, are fitted and allowed to turn freely. This shaftB has a right and left screwthread, as shown clearly in Fig. l, and a toothed wheel, C, is placed on each end of the screw-shaft at the outer sides of the uprights A. Into the wheels C C pinions D D gear, the axes of which have their bearings in the uprights A and in vertical Strips E, which are attached at their upper ends to the cross-piece (L of the uprights A, and at their lower ends to lateral projections b, secured to the uprights, as shown clearly in Fig. l. The ends of the shaft B have squares formed on them, as also have the outer ends of the axes of the pinions D D. The screw-shaft B is supported at its center by a pendant, F, the upper end of which is attached to the cross-piece c, the lower end having a bearing in which the shaft B works.

brace or support the screw-shaft, and render the whole press stiff and .firm during the operation of pressing.

On vcach screw of the shaft B there is placed a nut, G, to which toggles H are attachedone to the upper and one tothe lower side of each nut. The upper toggles H H are attached to a plate, I, the ends of which are fitted on guides c at the inner sides of the uprights A A, and the lower toggles H H are attached to a follower, J, within the press-box K. The plate I is connected by rods d to a plate, L, the ends of which are fitted on guides e at the lower parts and at the inner sides of the uprights, and to the upper surface of the plate L a follower, M, is attached, said follower also working within the press-box at its lower part. (See Fig. 2.) The upper follower, J, has a pin or bolt, f, passing through its center and through a plate, g, to which the toggles H are attached. Akey, 71 passes through the upper part of the bolt f and secures the follower to the plate. (See Figs. 2 and 4.) The object of this mode of attaching the follower J to its toggles will be presently explained.

The press-box K is formed of three parts, 'i j 7c. The part t' is at the lower part of the uprights, and is stationary and formed of slats. The central part, j, forms the doors,which are hinged at one end, as shown atl, and provided with fastenings l at their opposite ends, which fastenings catch aroundthe rods d. The upper part, 7c, has yielding sides, the lower ends of the sides being attached to shafts m, which are allowed to turn in their bearings. The sides of the upper part, 7s, of the press-box are connected by springs a. To the upper part of one of the sides of the part k of the pressbox rods o are attached, with pulleys p at their ends, ropes q passing around said pulleys and around the upper parts of the opposite side of the part -c of the press-box, as shown clearly in Fig. .4. To each toggle H a chain, r, is attached, said chains being connected to the follower .I near its ends, and to the plate I near its ends. (See Fig. l.)

The operation is as follows: The screw-shaft B is turned until the follower J is raised above the box K, so that said follower maybe detached by removing key 7L from the bolt f. The ropes q are then loosened on the sides of the upper part, 7c, of the box K, expand under the action of the springs n n, and the box K is filled with cotton or substance to be compressed, the doors or sides of the central part, j, of the box being closed. Vhen a requisite amount of cotton has been placed in the box K, the follower J is attached to the plate g, and the sides of the upper part, 7c, of the box brought to their original position by drawing on the ropes q. Power is then applied to the axes of the pinions D D, aud the screw-shaft B is rotated and the nuts G G move toward each other, the toggles H forcing down the follower J and forcing upward the plate I, and as the lower follower, M, is connected to the plate I by the rods d the two followers J M move simultaneously toward each other and compress the cotton between them. 'Ihe chains r, which are attached to the toggles and the plate I and follower J, cause the followers J M to assume a horizontal position as the toggles approach avertical one, and thereby cause the substance or material in the box K to be compressed as much at one side of the box as at the other. Vhen the substance or material within the box is fully compressed, the doors of the central part, j, of the press-box are opened and the compressed substance properly hooped and then removed. The doors are then closed, the shaft B turned to elevate the follower J, which is removed, as before, when above the box K, and the box K refilled and the operation repeated. rIhe spreading of the sides of the upper part of the press-box K is important, as it greatly facilitates the charging or lling of the press-box, as also does the removal of follower J, which may be readily done, owing to its peculiar attachment to its toggles. The central support, F, is also important, as it renders the press rm and stiff and effectually prevents any vibration of the screw-shaft.

I am aware that a shaft provided with a right and left screw has been used in connection with toggles for operating the followers of presses of various kinds, and I therefore do not claim, broadly, such device; but

I do claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent* The combination, with the hinged part 7a, of the springs oz., rods o, pulleys p, and ropes g, as and for the purpose herein shown anddescribed.

P. B. VVEVER.

Witnesses:

E. W. LANE, WV. J. FoREr-IAND. 

